Be it the Mariners in July or the Mets in October, Rivera sees
each opponent as an opportunity.

"Every time I go out there, it's business," Rivera said.

The 36-year-old Rivera has done it enough since becoming a
full-time reliever in 1996 that his place at the Hall of Fame is
set.

Bruce Sutter is being enshrined this month after getting elected
on his 13th attempt. Like many other successful relievers, Sutter
had to wait while Hall voters struggled to determine who belonged.

Lee Smith, who holds the career saves record with 478, has
barely gotten 40 percent in his three elections. There's no
guarantee that Trevor Hoffman would breeze in if he sets the mark.

Rivera, though, is the very definition of a Cooperstown closer.

"You don't even have to look up his numbers," said Hall voter
Paul Hoynes of The Plain Dealer in Cleveland. "You don't need to
go to 'The Baseball Encyclopedia.' We've all seen what he's done.

"You know it when you see it. This guy is a first-ballot Hall
of Famer," he said.

Being on the Yankees has helped, certainly.

"He's playing with a great club, but he's a great closer," St.
Louis manager Tony La Russa said. "They've given him a lot of
opportunities over the years."

Of course, Rivera is not automatic. While he's posted a record
34 saves in the postseason, he's blown three memorable chances.

The Boston Red Sox got him in Game 4 of the 2004 ALCS. Arizona's
Luis Gonzalez nicked him in the ninth inning of Game 7 in the 2001
World Series. And Sandy Alomar Jr. tagged him in the 1997 playoffs.

That said, Yankees fans still love him. It's a no-brainer, in
fact. Wouldn't trade him for anyone. Think anybody felt that way
about Armando Benitez or Byung-Hyun Kim?

Then again, it wasn't easy for Rivera at the beginning.

Rivera made his big league debut in May 1995 as a spot starter
for injured Jimmy Key and, after striking out his first two
hitters, got hit hard. The California Angels tagged him for five
runs in 3 1-3 innings of a 10-0 loss.

Rivera bounced around the rotation the rest of the year, and
Showalter opined that minor league stats don't necessarily
translate into major league success. Yet following an impressive
outing, Rivera showed that he believed in himself.

"There is no doubt in my mind," he said. "I know I can pitch
here."

Jim Edmonds figured the same thing. The St. Louis star played in
Rivera's debut and struck out his first two times up. The next
at-bat, Edmonds hit a three-run homer off the rookie.

"I do remember that. He was throwing hard," Edmonds said
before the Cardinals played Atlanta. "I always thought he'd be
good."<

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AP Sports Writer R.B. Fallstrom in St. Louis contributed to this
report.